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Life Insurance Demand Under Health Shock Risk

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Listed:
  • Christoph Hambel
  • Holger Kraft
  • Lorenz S. Schendel
  • Mogens Steffensen

Abstract

This article studies the consumption‐investment‐insurance problem of a family. The wage earner faces the risk of a health shock. The family can buy long‐term life insurance that can only be revised at significant costs. A revision is only possible as long as the insured person is healthy. The combination of unspanned labor income and the stickiness of insurance decisions reduces the long‐term insurance demand significantly. Since such a reduction is costly and families anticipate these potential costs, they buy less protection at all ages. In particular, young families stay away from long‐term life insurance markets altogether.

Suggested Citation

  • Christoph Hambel & Holger Kraft & Lorenz S. Schendel & Mogens Steffensen, 2017. "Life Insurance Demand Under Health Shock Risk," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 84(4), pages 1171-1202, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jrinsu:v:84:y:2017:i:4:p:1171-1202
    DOI: 10.1111/jori.12149
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Chen, Chang-Chih & Chang, Chia-Chien & Sun, Edward W. & Yu, Min-Teh, 2022. "Optimal decision of dynamic wealth allocation with life insurance for mitigating health risk under market incompleteness," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 300(2), pages 727-742.
    3. Kubitza, Christian & Grochola, Nicolaus & Gründl, Helmut, 2021. "Life insurance convexity," ICIR Working Paper Series 42/21, Goethe University Frankfurt, International Center for Insurance Regulation (ICIR).
    4. Hambel, Christoph & Kraft, Holger & Meyer-Wehmann, André, 2023. "When should retirees tap their home equity?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    5. Hambel, Christoph & Kraft, Holger & Meyer-Wehmann, André, 2020. "When should retirees tap their home equity?," SAFE Working Paper Series 293, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    6. Cheng, Chunli & Hilpert, Christian & Miri Lavasani, Aidin & Schaefer, Mick, 2023. "Surrender contagion in life insurance," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 305(3), pages 1465-1479.
    7. Liao, Yanjun (Penny) & Mulder, Philip, 2021. "What's at Stake? Understanding the Role of Home Equity in Flood Insurance Demand," RFF Working Paper Series 21-25, Resources for the Future.
    8. Barnes, Stephen & Joshi, Swarup & Terrell, Dek, 2023. "Disasters and health insurance: Evidence from Louisiana," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    9. Valeria D’Amato & Emilia Di Lorenzo & Marilena Sibillo, 2018. "Dread Disease and Cause-Specific Mortality: Exploring New Forms of Insured Loans," Risks, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-21, February.
    10. Yao, Haixiang & Li, Danping & Wu, Huiling, 2022. "Dynamic trading with uncertain exit time and transaction costs in a general Markov market," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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